2) Recessed electrical boxes for retrofitting on finished walls or for use in new construction were disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. Nos. 10/863,942, 11/009,116, 11/070,344, 11/102,392, and 11/185,256, commonly owned by the assignee of the present invention, the contents of which are referred to herein and incorporated herein in this specification in their entirety. The recessed electrical box disclosed in the co-pending applications comprised an electrical box having an inner enclosure for housing an electrical device and an outer enclosure for recessing the inner enclosure well within a wall. One or more flanges extended outwardly from the electrical box. For mounting to new construction, a first, breakaway inner flange was left intact and utilized as is for securing the box to the newly constructed building's substrate. Conversely, if mounted to an existing building in a retrofit situation, the inner flange was broken away to allow insertion of the box within an appropriately sized hole created for the box in the existing building. An outer flange was provided for masking the siding or other wall covering at the juncture of the electrical box with the surrounding siding. A cover member having a narrow peripheral side wall was provided for closing and rainproofing the electrical device therein. The co-pending applications disclosed the outer enclosure of the electrical box being a larger size than the inner enclosure to facilitate easy access to the inner enclosure and easy shedding of any residual rainfall that penetrated therein.
3) Although the co-pending applications provided an improved rainproof electrical box, the box member was susceptible to damage from excessive force applied to the cover member in an open position.
4) What is needed therefore is a recessed electrical box with a cover member that adequately provides protection against rain and the elements to the electrical devices held therein but also is capable of breaking away and not susceptible to damage when excessive force is applied thereto.